Aseel Tarawneh

MA Film and Television Production

This documentary depicts the difficult journey that Bayan Al Masri a Syrian refugee took for a better life. He had to migrate through eleven countries to reach the United Kingdom to get a new lease of life from a war-torn Syria. The documentary showcases through interviews and archival footage how Bayan was able to migrate from Syria in a small box in a lorry on a ship, which took six attempts for him to arrive in the UK.

The film begins by depicting the point of view of Bayan through a small box that he had spent 48 hours of his life in, oblivious of the fact whether he will come out alive, peeping through the small gaps through which he might contain his sanity and see signs of life. The opening title gives the audience a brief idea of what the documentary is going to be about thereby starting the narrative of the documentary.  The box gives a sense of claustrophobia amongst the audience and builds up the tension to see how the story unfolds. This tension amplifies when Bayan describes the tough situations he faced in Greece, Macedonia, and the Calais camp in France.

The journey is articulated through map graphics showing the various countries he had to travel through and which one of them left a mark on him. Through the archival footage/photographs the appalling condition of life was exhibited that these refugees were in. The interviews were very intimate to allow the audience to step into Bayan's shoes, and were done in a classical style. The pain in Bayan's voice invokes a sense of sympathy amongst the audience who get a chance to ponder over the fact how good they have it in life. The documentary comes full circle when Bayan concludes the story with a lump in his mouth and a sigh of relief when he arrives in the UK.